Hōmashō Noriyuki
| Hōmashō Noriyuki | |
|---|---|
| 豊真将 紀行 | |
 |
|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Yōsuke Yamamoto April 16, 1981 Yamaguchi, Japan |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 145 kg (320 lb; 22.8 st) |
| Web presence | website |
| Career | |
| Stable | Shikoroyama |
| University | Nihon University |
| Record | 415-344-109 |
| Debut | March 2004 |
| Highest rank | Komusubi (Nov 2011) |
| Retired | January 2015 |
| Championships | 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Sandanme) |
| Special Prizes | Fighting Spirit (5) Technique (2) |
| * Up to date as of Jan 19, 2015. | |
Hōmashō Noriyuki (born April 16, 1981 as Yōsuke Yamamoto in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan), is a former sumo wrestler. He turned professional in March 2004 and reached the top makuuchi division in May 2006 as the first sekitori from Shikoroyama stable, without any losing scores on his record. His highest rank was komusubi. He earned seven special prizes in his top division career and was a runner-up in three tournaments. In March 2014 he took the championship in the jūryō division. Hōmashō was a popular wrestler among sumo fans, and was noted for his deep and graceful bow at the end of a match.
He graduated from Saitama Sakae High School and was accepted by the Nihon University sumo club. However, due to illness, he had to quit the club and instead did various part-time jobs in between attending lectures at the university. He did not make his professional debut until March 2004, at the age of nearly 23. He was recruited by former sekiwake Terao, the head coach of the newly opened Shikoroyama stable, who he had admired as a young boy.
Initially fighting under his real surname of Yamamoto, he rose through the lower divisions quickly, capturing the yūshō or tournament championship in the sandanme division with a perfect 7-0 record in November 2004, upon which he changed his shikona to Hōmashō. He achieved kachi-koshi in every tournament until he reached the top makuuchi division, only the third wrestler to do so since 1958, following Akebono and Kotoōshū. He moved through the second highest jūryō division in just two tournaments. He took his first make-koshi or losing score in his top division debut in May 2006, but an exceptional result of 12-3 in November of that year, in which he was runner-up, gained him two prizes.
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Wikipedia